Pio Cesare Barolo Pio DOCG 2021 (Piedmont, Italy) - [JS 96] [WE 94] [WA 94] [JD 92] [DM 92] [WS 92]

Pio Cesare Barolo Pio DOCG 2021
(Piedmont, Italy) - [JS 96] [WE 94] [WA 94] [JD 92] [DM 92] [WS 92]


$95.00 $89.99 Save $5.01
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JS96 WE94 WA94 JD92 DM92 WS92
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About the Winery: 
The Pio Cesare winery was founded in 1881 by Cesare Pio, one of the very first wine producers to believe in the great potential and quality of Barolo, Barbaresco, Barbera and other great wines of Piemonte. For five generations, the Pio Cesare family has been producing traditional Piemontese wines in its ancient cellars, and consistently receiving high scores from all reviewers. Today it is run by the genial Pio Boffa, great-grandson of Pio Cesare, his nephew Cesare Benvenuto, and, since 2016, Boffa’s daughter Federica, who represents the fifth generation.

Overview:
The Pio Cesare family’s unique winemaking method stresses minimal intervention to produce wines of particularly supple flavor expression. A ceaseless devotion to the individuality of each of the region’s wines informs Pio Cesare's choices in the cellar: shorter maceration, separate lot fermentation, judicious selection for barrel and large cask aging, and bottling schedules determined by the ideal structure of each wine. This allows Pio Cesare to craft wines of varying weight, ageability and drinkability as determined by the vineyard rather than market fashion.

This Barolo is produced using the classic “formula” of traditional Barolo families: a wine which embraces and combines each of the unique characteristics of the different terroirs of the appellation, sourcing grapes from the family's multiple vineyards in different communes. 

Winemaking:
The grapes are sourced from family-owned vineyards in Serralunga d’Alba (Ornato, la Serra, la Briccolina, Lirano), Grinzane Cavour (Gustava, Garretti), La Morra (Roncaglie), Novello (Ravera), and Monforte d’Alba (Mosconi). Vinification takes place in stainless steel tanks, with skin contact for about 30 days. The wine is aged in mid-toasted French oak for three years: 70 percent in 20 to 50 hectoliter casks; 30 percent in barriques.

Harvest Notes:
2021 was a "later" harvest characterized by a long and cold winter, rich in abundant snow and rainfall which provided an excellent initial water supply to our soils, very precious to face the following months. The bud sprouting of Nebbiolo started towards the end of March, almost 15 days later than the previous year. Even though the delay characterized the entire season, until harvest time, the vegetative cycle of Nebbiolo was consistent and without any sudden excesses, thanks to the very constant temperatures. The vines could grow without any stress, reaching excellent quality and quantity levels.

The Nebbiolo harvest in the Barolo region began on October 11th with the Ornato vineyard in Serralunga d’Alba, usual for more traditional vintages. The harvest continued throughout the Barolo appellation, and was completed at the Mosconi vineyard, usually a much later-ripening exposure.

While revealing a terrific ageing potential, 2021 vintage enchants with a perfect balance between power and complexity, guaranteed by the family's unique terroirs especially in more traditional vintages, and elegance and finesse, the result of a stylistic refinement after many years of experience with the changing climate.

Tasting Notes:
A traditional vintage delivering fresh fruits and beautiful aromas, with great structure and complexity, intense color and a balanced acidity, already approachable with its gentle tannins—all the classic components of the great vintages of Barolo.

Ratings & Reviews

96 Points - James Suckling:
"This is very powerful and structured, with aromas of black truffles, graphite and hints of dried thyme and cedar. Medium- to full-bodied and chewy yet polished. Hints of terra cotta and dark fruit. The finish goes on and on. March 2024 release. Best after 2028."  (Aug 2024)

94 Points - Wine Enthusiast:
"Piedmont's stage opens with an elegant pas de deux of blueberries and cherries, pirouetting into a garden scene of just harvested herbs and violet petals. The performance continues as delicate spices weave through the air. Fine but commanding tannins conduct a symphony where fruit takes center stage, framed by earth and saline mineral notes in perfect harmony. A masterful composition that will enchant audiences for years to come. Drink Now - 2040." - Jeff Porter (Sep 2025)

94 Points - Wine Advocate:
"The Pio Cesare 2021 Barolo draws fruit from various sites, and like the Barbaresco, you get an excellent portrait of the vintage with balanced acidity, firm tannins and bright primary fruit. There is energy and vitality in this pretty Barolo with dried cherry, iris and subtle dustings of iron ore or rust" - Monica Larner (Jun 2025)

92 Points - Jeb Dunnuck:
"Displaying a deeper red color with more pigment, the 2021 Barolo Pio is more layered, savory, and noble in its feel all around and opens to notes of fresh cherries, licorice, lifted clove spice, and forest herbs. It shows a good deal of intensity on the palate, with firm, structured tannins, and while it’s medium-bodied, it feels more expansive and has mineral drive. It demands a bit of cellaring but will drink well over the next 15-20 years." - Audrey Frick (May 2025)

92 Points - Decanter Magazine:
"Fresh and attractive with red currants, wild strawberry, brushwood and rosehip tea, it's quite full with some richness to the fruit but assertive tannins which step in to lend proper support. Long and evocatively earthy on the finish. With the passing of longtime patriarch Pio Boffa in 2021, this historic estate is now in the capable hands of his 20-something daughter Federica Boffa and nephew Cesare Benvenuto. Bringing together eight vineyards from five villages, this classic bottling demonstrates more immediate balance than the Ornato. It clearly serves a distinct purpose by providing a panorama of the zone and offering earlier drinking." - Michaela Morris (Jan 2025)
92 Points - Wine Spectator:
"The cherry and raspberry fruit is enhanced by rose and mineral flavors, plus a hint of eucalyptus. This red is sleek and elegant yet also solidly structured, leaving a dusting of tannins on the finish. Best from 2028 through 2043." - Bruce Sanderson (Dec 2025)